Stronger than yesterday
From The GIST Sports Biz (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello!
Big congrats to Nelly Korda, who tied a women’s golf record with her fifth straight LPGA win and nabbed her second career major title at the Chevron Championship on Sunday. Korda’s historic run is also drawing eyeballs to the game: The tournament peaked at almost 1.9M viewers on NBC, up from 1.54M for last year’s final round. The stage is set.
NWSL
💸 Take it to the bank
The GIST: Today, the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) and Ally agreed to a multiyear extension of their existing sponsorship deal through 2027. The recommitment comes as Ally continues to advance its 50/50 Pledge goal and further proves the viability of partnering with pro players unions in women’s sports. A day one right there.
The details: The extension aims to amplify NWSL athlete visibility and equity, specifically through the Ally Award, which allows players to select a peer who represents the perfect teammate. Ally will also help the NWSLPA fight for higher professional standards, such as improved player safety, pay, and benefits while providing access to financial tools and programming.
- Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer recently described the brand’s decision to become the NWSLPA’s first-ever sponsor after its CBA ratification as “an act of solidarity…when the players needed a demonstration of unwavering commitment to their cause.”
The landscape: Sponsorships for players associations are common in men’s pro sports, where more established leagues have a head start in the existence and business scale of their unions. The NFLPA, for example, has a multitude of sponsors. So does the NBPA, which entered a marketing partnership with NBA 2K that allows players to participate in esports activations.
- As women’s leagues undergo rapid business development, the infrastructure of labor unions is also scaling up. Although the NWSLPA has eight additional partners that have strong working relationships and have supported the union since its early years, none have an official agreement in place like Ally.
Zooming out: Recent data affirmed once again that women’s sports fans are primed to support companies that align with their values. Ally has already boosted brand affinity and consumer trust by supporting women’s sports, but by sponsoring the NWSLPA, it banks further goodwill with players and fans and helps uplift the game overall.
- Even though Ally made waves with its unique NWSLPA partnership in 2022, no one else has really jumped on the bandwagon so far, leaving plenty of green field for other brands.
💰 Caitlin Clark expected to sign eight-year Nike deal worth $28M
Last week, news broke that Caitlin Clark was on the cusp of a groundbreaking multiyear Nike deal worth more than $20M — potentially higher than Sabrina Ionescu’s $24M deal with the brand. According to The Wall Street Journal, Clark is going to edge past Ionescu with an eight-year, $28M sponsorship that includes a signature shoe. Not bad, rook.
🚫 Angel Reese brings attention to troubling AI deepfakes
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese reportedly responded to a disturbing trend on Monday involving the online circulation of AI–generated explicit photos depicting women’s basketball stars such as herself, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers. Although the images are fake, AI likenesses have become increasingly realistic, which can harm public perception in addition to being a gross violation of privacy and consent.
🧠 Women’s Sports Foundation releases report on sports and girls’ mental health
The Women's Sports Foundation released a report yesterday that illustrates the positive and transformative effect sports can have on young girls, especially for alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- According to the report, mental health disorders are 1.5x to 2.5x lower among girls who play sports compared to those who never played, while girls involved with sports were 1.5x more likely to have a sense of meaning and purpose and stronger peer relationships. Stronger than yesterday.
📈 WNBA sees league-wide jump in ticket demand
The WNBA is fielding interest across the league ahead of season tipoff, and it isn’t just for Caitlin Clark. The Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, and Dallas Wings sold out season tickets for the first time in history, and teams are also seeing substantial jumps in average ticket prices.
- According to ticket marketplace Vivid Seats, the average WNBA ticket price jumped 129% YoY, while Wings tix increased 135%, the Sky’s jumped 119%, and the Los Angeles Sparks’ increased 97% — all teams that landed some of college’s biggest stars.
💨 Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm 776 is set to host a women’s track event in September that will offer the largest purse ever for a women’s track competition.
🍺 The Sports Bra owner Jenny Nguyen also announced a partnership with Ohanian to expand the first U.S. sports bar dedicated to women’s sports to multiple locations nationwide.
🐶 Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum held her second-annual Dawg Class camp with sponsor Under Armour to help prep college basketball players for their WNBA journey with brand building, media training, and puppies (!!!).
📺 The Indiana Fever finalized a deal with media company Tegna to put 17 of the team’s games on Indianapolis-area over-the-air stations.
🏛️ The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld Title IX protections for trans athletes last week, a decision that could lead to future clarity from the U.S. Supreme Court. Protect trans athletes.
🥊 OnlyFans teamed up with UK–based sports streaming service DAZN for a 12-month boxing sponsorship that includes streaming and content production.
🕶️ Caitlin Clark’s draft night Prada outfit earned $581K in media impact value for the brand, per Launchmetrics.
✈️ Global travel company Skyscanner was named the travel technology partner of the 2024 and 2026 Solheim Cups in the brand’s first multiyear global sports sponsorship. Ready for takeoff.
Giveaway Alert
The temps are getting warmer and the days are getting longer — it’s time to gear up for hiking and camping season. That’s why we’ve partnered with some pals in the outdoors industry to give you the chance to win over $3K in camping equipment.
- With a heated jacket and mitten set, a backpack, a campfire trio, gift cards, and so much more up for grabs, your campsite could be the talk of the town. Enter this contest today.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
⚽ What to read
This piece about English soccer player Lauren James. The young, Black athlete has continuously battled racism online, sparking a conversation about the burden pro athletes, particularly Black women, carry in leading change.
🏈 What’s a family affair
The NFL draft. A handful of sons of some of the league’s biggest stars are ready to make a name for themselves at this year’s draft, including USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Fame legend Jerry Rice. All in the fam.
🏌️ What to buy
Golf pants that don’t suck. Thanks to a tip from a The GIST of It podcast listener, these adidas joggers and pants from Sweaty Betty are top contenders. Hit those links in comfort and style.
Today's email was brought to you by Aryanna Prasad and Briana Ekanem. Fact checking by Bonnie Lee. Editing by Lindsay Jost. Operations by Elisha Gunaratnam and Lisa Minutillo. Ads by Lauren Tuiskula, Dee Lab, and Alexis Allison. Managing edits by Molly Potter and Ellen Hyslop.